Sweet Surrender
by musicnut507
Summary: Sad story, may be a little disturbing at the end so heed the rating.


Hey, hey, everyone! Well, this story is a little old, I've uploaded it before, but something went wrong, so after quite a few months I have found it and am attempting to upload it again! I actually think this story is rather good, probably my best (well, that's just my opinion, but.). I'm sorry if this is a bit OOC for, well, anyone, but it is only fanfiction. I also apologize if you think I misinterpreted the song, but this is what it made me think of. How depressing.  
  
Disclaimer: All these characters belong to J.K. Rowling and the song belongs to Sarah McLachlan (excellent song, listen to it!). Only the plot is mine.  
  
  
  
Sweet Surrender  
  
  
  
~It doesn't mean much It doesn't mean anything at all  
  
The life I've left behind me  
  
Is a cold room~  
  
  
  
I don't know how this all started. I guess I snapped when I read those letters the owls dropped on my open books. First my parents, then Viktor. My face went blank as I read them. And Viktor's letter started a fight between Ron and me (yes another fight). He didn't even know what it said.  
  
"Another letter from Vicky? "He remarked.  
  
"Ron, how many times have I told you not to call him Vicky? "I demanded angrily.  
  
"Ron." Harry warned as he saw my eyes start to well up with tears.  
  
"Stay out of this, Harry. I'm so sorry Hermy-own " he shot back at me, "I guess only you can use his pet name?"  
  
I glared at him. "Ron, if you knew what this letter said, then you could say something. But, since you don't I suggest you shut up and mind your own business!" My tears started to spill over my eyes as I ran out the portrait hole leaving a fuming Ron and a stressed out Harry behind.  
  
~I've crossed the last line From where I can't return Where every step I took in faith betrayed me  
  
And led me from my home~  
  
  
  
I ran. I didn't know where I was going. The only thing on my mind was to put as much distance between Ron and me as possible. I ended up four floors above the entrance to Gryffindor Tower in an abandoned corridor next to a suit of armor.  
  
"Oh, god, what do I do now?" I thought. I left my wand in my bag in the common room, so magic was out of the question. That's when I saw it.  
  
The dagger.  
  
I pulled it from the waist of the suit of armor. Tears streamed down my face as I raised it above my head. I caught a quick glance at the scars up and down my arms as the sleeves of my robes fell to my elbows. Finally, bringing the dagger down with as much force as I could, I screamed in pain when it pierced my chest and drove into my heart.  
  
~Sweet, sweet surrender  
  
Is all that I have to give~  
  
  
  
I picked up the letters she left behind, scowling when I recognized Krum's handwriting. "Stupid git," I muttered, scanning the letter from her parents. My face paled because this is what it said:  
  
" Dear Hermione, You know that your father and I have been going through very tough times with all of our recent fights and such. Now the only way we see fit to solve this problem is to get a divorce. We are so sorry. Honey, we can talk about it when you come home for the summer. Right now we just want you to know that it is not because of you. It is our fault that this has to happen. We don't want you to go hurting yourself over this because it is nothing that you can control. Hermione, dear, we love you and hope that you'll be okay for a couple more months until summer holiday. We'll see you as soon as possible to straighten this all out.  
  
Love, Mum"  
  
"Oh, god, what have I done?" I thought. Then I picked up Viktor's letter and this is what it said:  
  
"Dear Herm-own-ninny, It is very difficult for me to tell you this but I must. You see, I think it would be easier to just be friends. I can't handle this long distance relationship when I can only be with you two months every year. We don't see each other often enough. I think that you would agree that we should stay friends for now. Yours, Viktor"  
  
I thought I was going to be sick. He - he dumped her! I can't believe it! For her to be that upset over it - she really must have cared for him. I felt rotten.  
  
"Ron, what's wrong?" Harry asked. I tossed the letters into his lap and ran out the portrait hole yelling over my shoulder, "I've got to find her!"  
  
"Hermione!" I yelled.  
  
"Ron," a voice above me said.  
  
I looked up to see the Gryffindor ghost floating overhead. "Nick!" I said, "Did you see her?" He nodded. "Well," I said anxiously, "which way did she go?"  
  
"Follow me, Ron."  
  
So, I followed him. We went down the corridor, up a flight of stairs, down another corridor, through the door to an empty classroom, and up two secret passages that led to a huge flight of stairs that led to some abandoned corridor about four floors above the portrait of the fat lady. We were only at least five steps up when I heard it.  
  
A terrifying scream.  
  
I froze on the spot. There was no question as to who that was. Hermione.  
  
"Ron!" Nick said urgently, "Go!"  
  
"Hermione!" I yelled, racing up the stairs and around the corner.  
  
Then I saw something. A huddled form on the floor by a suit of armor. I stared at it. "Hermione?" I choked out in a terrified whisper. My legs trembled as I walked over to her and I immediately recognized the bushy brown hair over their face. I rolled her over and found myself staring into Hermione's empty tear-stained face. It was white as a sheet but I could still hear the faintest ragged breathing coming from her. And her hands were still clutched around a dagger through her chest.  
  
~You take me in  
  
No questions asked  
  
You strip away the ugliness  
  
That surrounds me~  
  
"Professor! Professor, please wait!" a voice behind me came. I turned to see Mr. Potter running toward me.  
  
"Professor, please, you've got to help me. Hermione ran off and Ron went after her. They haven't come back yet." He said gasping.  
  
"Well, where did they go?" I asked.  
  
"That's just it," he answered. "I don't know!"  
  
"Professor McGonagall," an urgent voice above us said. "They are up in the abandoned ninth floor corridor."  
  
"Well," I said to Nick, "don't just float around there, take us to them!"  
  
"Follow me, Professor McGonagall."  
  
I followed the ghost with Potter close behind me. After awhile, we came to a long staircase, one even I don't remember seeing in all my days at Hogwarts (but then again, these staircases change so much, hiding and revealing abandoned corridors, that one could ever keep them all straight). We walked up the staircase and when we were almost to the top, I heard muttering. I was worried and began running up the rest of the stairs and around the corner. What I saw shocked me.  
  
~Are you an angel Am I already that gone I only hope that I won't disappoint you  
  
When I'm down here on my knees~  
  
  
  
I sat with Hermione in my arms for a while. I don't remember how long since I lost track of time. "Why did you do this to yourself, Mione, huh?" I whispered to her. "Why? Didn't you think anyone would miss you? Well, I do. Cause you know what? I loved you." Tears started to spill out of my eyes as leaned down to kiss her forehead.  
  
Suddenly, I heard quick footsteps behind me. When I turned I saw Professor McGonagall running over to where I sat with Hermione.  
  
"Mr. Weasley!" she cried upon seeing Hermione and motioning to the blood on our robes, "What happened?"  
  
I pulled away from Hermione a little to show the professor her now limp hands still clutched around the dagger.  
  
"I ran after her and when I found her, she was crumpled on the floor with her hands around this," and at that I motioned to the dagger.  
  
Professor McGonagall took Hermione's wrist and felt for a pulse. There was none.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, we need to take her to the hospital wing. Could you please help me take her?"  
  
I nodded and picked her up. McGonagall put the Wingardium Leviosa spell on her and I almost broke down sobbing again.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
".not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!""  
  
I remembered that time when I had saved her and Harry's lives with that spell and realized there was nothing I could do to save her life this time. Here I was, a seventh year student and I could do more to help her when I was eleven.  
  
~Sweet, sweet surrender Is all that I have to give~  
  
I noticed the tears in my best friend's eyes and I felt helpless. I walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Ron," I said, "there's nothing you could have done. It's not your fault."  
  
He turned to me and I saw the emptiness in his eyes. "No, Harry, that's just it. It was my fault that she did this. If I hadn't gone and been such a bloody pain in the arse about Krum, then she wouldn't have run off and this wouldn't have happened.  
  
"No. Don't go blaming this on yourself. Did you happen to see her arms when they fell away from that dagger? Did you see the scars?" I walked over to Hermione and pushed up one of her sleeves to show him the angry red marks up and down her arms.  
  
I heard McGonagall gasp as she stepped up behind me. "Boys, we need to get her to the hospital wing, now."  
  
~And I don't understand By the touch of your hand I would be the one to fall~  
  
My body felt lighter than air. As if this huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Then I looked down to see that I really was lighter than air, in a way. I was floating. Everything became more focused, and then I realized I was floating over a scene.  
  
There was Ron, and Harry, and McGonagall. And they were all walking down some abandoned corridor I faintly recognized. There was something floating in front of them, too. A body, with bushy brown hair and bloody robes, was floating in front of them. "Oh my god!" I almost screamed. Quickly, I clapped my hand over my mouth, only to discover that it went right through my head.  
  
That's when I realized.  
  
I was dead.  
  
*I miss the little things I miss the simple things Oh I miss everything Everything about you*  
  
I walked behind my two students who levitated the body down the steps and to the tunnel we had last come through. I just couldn't believe this! She had been a model student, always working her hardest, always setting an example for the younger students. We silently made our way to the Hospital Wing and Madame Pompfrey directed us over to a section with black curtains. It was the same wing that Diggory had been put in after the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, the section for the dead. After Hermione had been settled in a bed, I went to my office to notify her parents.  
  
*So it doesn't mean much It doesn't mean anything at all The life I've left behind me Is a cold room*  
  
"I won't believe it. No, I can't. Our little girl is dead. No, please, dear God, no," I thought. "It can't be true."  
  
"Allison?" my husband calls. "Allison, what is it?" He walked into the room, worry written all over his face.  
  
"Michael, look", I sobbed. He took the paper with shaking hands and read it. His face went pale and as he spoke, his voice shook, "Oh, dear God. What have we done?"  
  
*  
  
The pale figure watched the funeral with a blank expression on her face. She reached out a bloodied arm with deep gashes on it, trying to touch them. Trying to reach out to the ones that she never knew had cared.  
  
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. Then she looked around her, at the ghosts of Hogwarts, her new family.  
  
"I know, young one, that it is hard. But you have us now. And now that you're one of us, no harm can befall you ever again."  
  
"I know, Nick, I know."  
  
And with that, the Hogwarts ghosts silently glided out of the hall.  
  
*And sweet, sweet surrender Is all that I have to give Sweet, sweet surrender Is all that I have to give* 


End file.
